


Hello From The Other Side

by bb_bambam



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Phone Calls, the happy ending used to be implied but now it isn't because surprise! i added a chapter, the other pairings are very heavily implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 07:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7424797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bb_bambam/pseuds/bb_bambam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Kris leaves EXO, but neither he nor Junmyeon can move on.</p><p>Basically, five times Kris calls Junmyeon and one time Junmyeon calls Kris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**#1 (May 2014)**

Junmyeon isn’t fully paying attention when he picks up the phone. (If he had been, he thinks later, he probably wouldn’t have picked up in the first place.) Sehun has just finished a long rant about some prank Chanyeol and Baekhyun pulled on him, which is not unusual, really. In fact, Junmyeon is slightly relieved that the uncomfortable tension that has filled the dorm ever since Kr- _No, ever since we_ became eleven _, we can’t mention his name_ , he reminds himself for the thousandth time - has started to dissipate. Junmyeon offers the Sehun some advice after his long-winded complaint ends, and the maknae heaves a massive sigh before moving to leave the room just as Junmyeon’s phone rings.

“Go on, Sehunnie, I’ll be out in a bit,” Junmyeon tells him, not bothering to check the number as he brings the phone to his ear.

Sehun is already out the door when the voice on the other end uncertainly starts, “Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon nearly drops the phone in shock. The voice is way too familiar, brings back too many memories, and Junmyeon can already feel a headache coming on. “Kr- _Yifan_?” he hisses, rushing over to the door to lock it, because no one should walk in on this. It feels odd, calling him by his real name, but Junmyeon needs to keep this formal and this is the only way he can think of. He tries to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth as he speaks.

“That’s me,” Kris answers awkwardly. It makes Junmyeon cringe, because this is _Kris_ , the person who was by his side for _years_ , speaking like they’re complete strangers.

“Why do you still have this number?” Junmyeon demands, anger building inside him. “You were supposed to _delete_ all of them.” _Leave no traces_ , they had been told. Pictures had to be deleted from their phones, numbers had to be erased, anything and everything that could hint at the existence of a 12th member, _gone_ in the course of a day.

Kris is quiet for a moment, and part of Junmyeon desperately wants to explode at him. “You’re crazy if you think I don’t know your number by heart,” Kris finally says. Junmyeon pointedly ignores the way that simple admittance makes his heart rate speed up. “I could take the pictures off my phone, unfollow you all on social media, but I can’t get rid of my own memories.”

“And what makes you think you can just call me whenever you please?” Junmyeon asks, determined to remain angry even as he feels his resolve crumbling. “What if another member had been in the room? What if a _manager_ had been in the room?”

“You picked up,” Kris points out.

“I - that’s -” Junmyeon splutters a little. “I wasn’t looking at the number when I picked up, okay? I was trying to handle a crisis.”

“Let me guess, the beagle line was winding up one of the maknaes,” Kris predicts. Junmyeon can _hear_ him rolling his eyes through the phone. “Typical.”

Junmyeon’s heart aches. Kris sounds _fond_ , enough that Junmyeon can almost forget that Kris isn’t one of them anymore. Almost. “Why did you call, Yifan?”

There’s another pregnant pause. Then - “I miss you.” Kris says it so matter-of-factly, like Junmyeon should have expected it, like it isn’t a big deal, like it doesn’t hurt him to say it as much as it hurts Junmyeon to hear it. “I miss all of you.”

And the thing is - Junmyeon _wants_ to be angry, enraged, furious. He wants to yell and scream and tell Kris that it’s his own fault, that if he really missed them so much, he wouldn’t have left in the first place. But he won’t do it, because he knows Kris’s reasons and he knows it wasn’t easy for Kris to do and most importantly, he knows Kris still feels, will _always_ feel, guilty for what his departure did to the members. So instead of shouting, instead of picking a pointless fight, Junmyeon quietly replies, “Everyone misses you too.”

Kris lets out a shaky breath. “I read your public statement. And Tao’s. Doesn’t feel like you miss me that much.”

Junmyeon grimaces. “You know how emotional Tao can get, he’s already said that he regrets getting so angry in the heat of the moment. And anyway, you know we _had_ to say those things. It _wasn’t SM’s fault_ , after all.” He says the words with practiced ease, as if repeating them over and over has made them any less false.

“I know,” Kris sighs. “I _know_ , but I also think there’s a part of you that believes everything they’ve made you say.”

“I don’t,” Junmyeon replies automatically. “Am I upset? Yes, obviously. Am I disappointed? Also yes. But I know your reasons, and I know that they’re good and valid reasons.”

“Okay,” Kris says, but he still doesn’t sound entirely convinced. There’s a tiny, twisted, sadistic part of Junmyeon that’s almost _glad_ that Kris is having these doubts, as a sick kind of confirmation that Kris does in fact feel guilty. But mostly, Junmyeon is sad, sad that Kris can’t trust him at his word anymore, sad that he’s so entangled in SM that it’s difficult to differentiate his own thoughts from theirs.

“I have to go, Yifan,” Junmyeon tells him softly. “The others are probably already wondering why I’ve been in here for so long.”

“Go on then, go take care of them,” Kris replies. Junmyeon mumbles a good bye, but before he can hang up, Kris speaks again. “Junmyeon, I know I made it harder, now that you have ten to take care of by yourself, but - just remember to take care of _yourself_ too.”

Junmyeon closes his eyes, willing back his tears. “You too, Yifan.” He hangs up.

~~~

**#2 (October 2014)**

Junmyeon excuses himself from the living room as his phone rings, the ringtone cutting through the tense silence that has been omnipresent in the dorm since eleven became ten. No one heeds him much attention anyway, too caught up in other things to notice him walking to his room. Sehun has his head on Jongin’s shoulder as they sit on the couch, silently watching something on Jongin’s phone. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are much more subdued than usual, sitting on either side of Kyungsoo and reading the book he’s engrossed in from over his shoulder.

Minseok, as expected, is the most affected, his eyes rimmed in red as he stares blankly at nothing, even though it’s been more than a week since the departure. Jongdae is at his side, speaking quietly and soothingly in an attempt to comfort his hyung while visibly trying to hold back his own tears. Yixing sits next to Jongdae, occasionally interjecting a few words, while Tao sits on Minseok’s other side, distracting himself with a game on his phone.

“I heard,” is the first thing that comes through the phone as he closes his bedroom door behind him and locks it. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?” Junmyeon asks hollowly. “It had nothing to do with you.”

“I know you don’t believe me, Junmyeon, but I _do_ still care about the group,” Kris sighs. “How’s Minseok-hyung holding up?”

“He’s - recovering,” Junmyeon replies hesitantly. “He’s hung up on the fact that Luhan-hyung didn’t delete that picture of the two of them off his Instagram account.”

“There’s a picture of you on there too though, isn’t there?” Kris asks, not completely sure why it would be such a big deal for Minseok.

Junmyeon sighs deeply. “Yeah, but that was just a picture for my birthday. The one he posted of the two of them, it had no caption or anything, remember?” Kris murmurs in agreement. “That’s because it was actually for their one year anniversary.”

Kris inhales sharply, realization dawning upon him. “Oh boy. Have they talked at all since he left?”

“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time, really,” Junmyeon says resignedly. “Luhan-hyung will eventually call and Minseok-hyung will yell at him and they’ll both cry a little and in the end, they’ll decide that they still want to be together, because that’s just how they are.”

“So basically, they’ll do exactly what _we_ did, except in a more boyfriendy way,” Kris summarizes. “Well, you know what they say about kids copying their parents.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “Sure, Yifan. I definitely know what you’re talking about.” Kris laughs and Junmyeon ignores the way his heart flutters at the familiar sound. _I’m a grown man, not some teenager with a crush_ , he reminds himself firmly. “Anyway, the point is, Minseok-hyung is still distraught right now, but he’ll be okay.”

“I’m glad,” Kris says approvingly. “Not that I thought he wouldn’t be able to handle it, but I was worried about him.”

“I’m more worried about Luhan-hyung, to be honest,” Junmyeon replies thoughtfully. “He’s the one who left, but I really think the guilt might kill him.”

Kris is quiet for a moment before admitting, “I actually talked to him yesterday.”

“What? How is he? Is he eating properly? Resting?” Junmyeon can’t help the way he immediately shifts into protective mode. Luhan may have left, but Junmyeon will always worry.

“Well, I did have to remind him that he needs to eat three meals per day and drink something besides coffee,” Kris sighs. “But to be fair, his response was to tell me to stop being such a dad, so I mean, other than that, he’s practically his same old self.”

Junmyeon groans. “Don’t tell me he’s only drinking coffee because -”

“It reminds him of Minseok-hyung,” Kris finishes. “Yup.”

“Next time you talk to him, yell at him from me too,” Junmyeon requests, shaking his head. “Living off coffee, _honestly_. I understand he misses his boyfriend, but _really_.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know your thoughts on the matter,” Kris obliges, amusement evident in his voice. “He’s more likely to listen to you anyway.”

Junmyeon smiles in spite of himself. “If you say so.” It suddenly strikes him how _normal_ this conversation is, how easy and familiar it is to exchange playful words back and forth, and suddenly, he can’t handle it. In an instant, the overwhelming longing he feels, for Kris to return, for Luhan to return, for everything to be the way it was, is too much to take. He panics. “I - I have to go. Talk to you later.”

“Oh, uh, okay, bye,” a very bewildered Kris replies hurriedly before Junmyeon hangs up. It’s only later that Junmyeon realizes that he practically invited Kris to call again.

~~~

**#3 (March 2015)**

The members are in a very excitable state when Junmyeon’s phone rings. Junmyeon glances at the number and groans internally. This is a call he needs to be alone for, but he isn’t sure how he’ll be able to isolate himself from his members when they’re all so worked up.

He answers the call and hurriedly says, “Can you just hang on for a second? Everything is kind of a mess right now.” The amused laughter he receives in response does nothing to improve his hassled mood. “Minseok-hyung!” he calls a little desperately.

“What’s wrong?” Minseok immediately appears at his side, much to Junmyeon’s relief.

“Can you please look after everyone for a while?” Junmyeon requests. “I have to take this call.”

Minseok raises an eyebrow but doesn’t question him, which Junmyeon is grateful for. “Sure, Junmyeon-ah. Go talk to him - I mean, whoever it is you need to talk to.” Junmyeon gets the feeling Minseok somehow knows exactly who called him ( _Luhan-hyung must have told him_ , Junmyeon thinks), but he doesn’t dwell on it too long.

“Thanks, Minseok-hyung. You’re the best!” At first, as he leaves the living room, all he can see is Kyungsoo and Jongdae laughing about something as Yixing dozes on Jongdae’s shoulder and thinks Minseok might not have that difficult of a job after all. Of course, then he spots Sehun and Chanyeol engaged in an arm wrestling match while Jongin, Baekhyun, and Tao play the part of the enthusiastic, rambunctious crowd, changes his mind, and silently wishes Minseok good luck.

“Sorry about that,” Junmyeon apologizes once the door to his room is locked and he’s settled on the bed comfortably. “I had to make sure they were being supervised by someone responsible.”

“It’s fine,” Kris laughs. “Believe me, I _totally_ get it. I still remember what it was like, especially after a comeback.” There’s an awkward pause after that, because Junmyeon isn’t sure what he can say in response to something like that. Kris coughs to break the silence. “Out of curiosity though, don’t you think Minseok-hyung might get roped into whatever competition was going on out there?”

“He might,” Junmyeon realizes belatedly. “But then again, he doesn’t really like arm wrestling that much because everyone else is way worse than him. And if it really comes to that, I’m pretty sure Jongdae and Kyungsoo will step in.” He plays with the edge of his blanket as he continues, “So anyway, I don’t think you called just to hear about who keeps the members in line when I’m not there.”

“I just wanted to congratulate everyone. Our - I mean, _your_ comeback was impressive,” Kris compliments. “I liked the song a lot.”

“I - you listened to it?” Junmyeon asks, feeling a little surprised.

“Obviously,” Kris replies like there was no doubt that he would. “I watched the video too, of course. I liked your center-screen hip thrust.” Junmyeon can _hear_ him smiling.

“That wasn’t my idea,” Junmyeon mumbles, blushing slightly.

“Well, I figured as much,” Kris says, mirth evident in his voice. “But I mean, I don’t know, you looked good doing it so I - just thought I’d tell you.”

“Thanks, Yifan,” Junmyeon tells him, his face still warm. “I’m glad you watched it.”

“How could I not?” Kris counters. “I’m really proud of all of you, you know. I know it wasn’t easy for any of you, and I certainly didn’t help with that, but - I’m happy EXO is out there being successful.”

Junmyeon is suddenly overcome with the urge to tell Kris everything. He wants to admit that he had been _so afraid_ that they wouldn’t be able to get over losing two members that it kept him awake at night, wants to reveal that even though they’re all beyond proud of the new album, it still feels like there’s something _missing_. But he knows he shouldn’t, knows there are some things he needs to keep to himself, so he settles for replying, “Me too. And I’m glad you’re not doing bad yourself either.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve been keeping tabs on me too,” Kris blurts out. “I’m flattered, it almost feels like you care, Junmyeon-ah!”

“Shut up,” Junmyeon grumbles. “Obviously I keep an eye on what you’re up to. And for your information, I do the same for Luhan-hyung.”

“Sure, Junmyeon, try and make me feel less special,” Kris teases. “Still, I bet Luhan doesn’t get to talk to you as often as I do, am I right?”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face as he admits, “Fine, you’re right about that. He _does_  talk to Minseok-hyung though, so I’m sure he’s not too disappointed.”

“He should be, since I’m pretty sure I’m the _real_ winner here,” Kris declares. He sounds undeniably genuine, and it makes Junmyeon’s heart race. “Anyway, I’m sure you have a very rowdy group of members to return to, so I’ll let you go.”

“Thank you again, Yifan,” Junmyeon tells him sincerely. “It was nice to hear your opinion.”

Kris just laughs softly. “Any time, Junmyeon. And remember to enjoy the success, okay? You deserve it.”

~~~

**#4 (April 2015)**

“Junmyeon? Are you there?” Kris’s voice is laced with concern. It grates at Junmyeon’s nerves.

“Yifan?” he answers mockingly, alcohol thrumming through his veins and clouding his brain. This is already the most irresponsible thing he’s ever done, taking a couple bottles from the hidden stash of alcohol all the members pretend isn’t there, but he’s really outdone himself this time because he’s actually _drinking_ them. “I’m here. Where are _you_? Certainly not _here_.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “Junmyeon, are you - are you _drunk_?”

“What if I am?” Junmyeon retorts. “What’s it to _you_? You gonna tell me what a bad leader I am? I already hear enough of that: I lost _three members_ over the course of a year, after all. But _you_ were one of those members, so it’s not like you were _ever_ a more responsible leader than me.”

“I - Junmyeon, are you alone right now?” Kris sounds even more worried than before.

“I’m always alone,” Junmyeon laughs mirthlessly. “I’ve _been_ alone, ever since my co-leader dropped EXO out of his life, ever since he dropped _me_ out of his life with it. Can you believe I was in love with him? Can you believe after all this time, I still am?”

Kris is silent for a long time. “You don’t mean that,” he says quietly. “You’re drunk and you don’t know what you’re saying.” He sounds very much like he’s trying to convince himself.

“Shut up, Yifan,” Junmyeon snaps. “How would _you_ know? You _left_. I never even got to tell you _anything_ about how I felt. And how could you _possibly_ be so - so _full of yourself_ as to think you know how I feel now?”

“I’m dreaming,” Kris murmurs. “This isn’t real.”

“Wake up! This is reality,” Junmyeon sneers. His inhibitions are nonexistent, words that have been trapped in his head for the whole year since Kris left now flowing freely from his mouth. “After Luhan-hyung left, I was the only one who could really understand what Minseok-hyung was going through. I had experienced that same pain, after all. The heartbreak that comes with the person you love _leaving you behind_.”

“Don’t,”  Kris implores softly. “Please, don’t.”

“You know Jongdae has nightmares, Yifan?” Junmyeon continues relentlessly. “He wakes up crying every night because he’s afraid Yixing will leave one day too. Because if Minseok wasn’t enough for Luhan to stay, if _I_ wasn’t enough for _you_ to stay, then how could he _possibly_ be enough?”

“You were enough,” Kris mumbles. “Don’t ever think you weren’t.”

“And yet you still left,” Junmyeon replies bitterly. “Congratulations, Yifan, you’re officially _deplorable_ at showing people how much they’re worth to you.”

“Junmyeon, I -”

“And now Tao is gone,” Junmyeon whispers suddenly. His voice breaks as he continues to speak. “My _baby Zitao_ is _gone_!” He’s been trying so hard to hold the tears back, but he can’t help the miserable sob that escapes his mouth. “Weren’t we a happy family, Yifan? What did I do wrong for both the father _and_ the son to leave?”

“It wasn’t because of _you_ , Junmyeon,” Kris murmurs sadly. “If there was no SM controlling our every move, we all would have stayed. Tao wouldn’t have left all his friends or you, and Lu-ge would have stayed for Minseok-hyung, and -” He swallows before continuing softly, “And _I_ would have stayed for you.”

“I miss you,” Junmyeon says quietly, his eyes starting to feel heavy from his sudden emotional outburst. “I miss you so much and I wish you would all just come back.”

The last thing he hears before falling asleep is Kris’s equally quiet reply: “Sometimes I wish I could, too.”

(In the morning, Junmyeon wakes up with a throbbing headache and a sinking feeling in his gut. He immediately makes a beeline for Minseok’s room, barging in and effectively waking up a very confused Minseok. “Junmyeon? What’s wrong?” Minseok asks, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes sleepily.

“I - there’s nothing _wrong_ , really, I just - I’m sorry for waking you up like this,” Junmyeon rambles anxiously.

“Whoa, slow down there.” Minseok pats the area next to him on the bed. “Come on, just take your time and gather your thoughts.”

Junmyeon sits, offering Minseok a grateful smile before rubbing at his temples in frustration. “Can I ask you kind of a weird question, hyung?” Minseok looks at him curiously but nods, indicating that he should continue. “How did you - I mean, was it hard to, um, forgive Luhan-hyung?” He mumbles the last part, but he knows Minseok heard him.

Minseok’s eyes widen in realization. “Junmyeon-ah, is this about Kris?” Junmyeon says nothing, which essentially confirms Minseok’s suspicions. “I thought I would never be able to forgive him at first. I thought it was so selfish of him, even though I _knew_ he was having panic attacks and wasn’t sleeping well and wasn’t _happy_. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that it wasn’t that he _wanted_ to leave: he _needed_ to leave. And that made it easier. He was really in distress, he knew that and I knew that, and in the end, I decided that I would rather him be apart from me and healthy than be with me and suffer.”

“You’re still...together, right?” Junmyeon asks tentatively.

Minseok smiles softly. “Yeah, we are. He called me a few weeks after he left and we just...talked. And we established that we both wanted this, wanted to make it work, and that’s what we’ve been doing.” He looks at Junmyeon carefully. “What’s brought all this on?”

“I, um, kind of got drunk last night?” Junmyeon admits guiltily. Minseok, to his credit, gives no indication of any kind of judgement. “And he called me and I accidentally told him I’ve been in love with him since before he left,” Junmyeon groans, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.

“Junmyeon-ah,” Minseok sighs sympathetically. “It’ll be fine. He’s been crazy about you for just as long, honestly. Just call him and explain yourself fully, he’ll definitely understand.”

Junmyeon smiles wryly. “I don’t need to call him, hyung. He’ll call me.”)

~~~

**#5 (May 2015)**

The group is gathered together in the living room when Junmyeon’s phone lights up with a ringtone that isn’t his usual one. “Hyung, is that _yours_?” Jongin asks curiously from where he’s tucked into Sehun’s side on the floor. “That isn’t your normal ringtone.”

“It must be someone special!” Baekhyun predicts as he leans over Chanyeol on the couch to grin slyly at Junmyeon. “You only set different ringtones for those _significant_ people in your life, if you know what I mean.”

“Is that why you have Chanyeol’s ringtone set as ‘Call Me Baby,’ Baekhyun?” Jongdae interjects, smirking as he looks up from where he’s in the middle of a long-winded text to Yixing, who’s currently in China.

Baekhyun flushes pink. “Shut up, Jongdae, I know your ringtone for Yixing-hyung is ‘Love, Love, Love,’ that’s _way_ worse.”

“It’s not way worse, it makes sense,” Chanyeol defends Jongdae, much to Baekhyun’s indignance. “You know what’s _actually_ worse? The fact that Sehun and Jongin’s ringtone for each other is ‘Playboy.’ They’re too young for that level of gross.”

“Come on, Minseok-hyung is just as gross, ‘Baby’ is his ringtone for Luhan-hyung,” Sehun complains. Minseok just shrugs and nods with a shy smile, unashamed to admit to the truth.

“Yeah, but at least they’re not five years old like you and Jongin,” Kyungsoo reasons, seated in the solitary armchair in the room.

Sehun and Jongin both look affronted. “You’re only a year older than us!”

As the members continue to squabble amongst each other, Junmyeon quietly slips away and locks himself in his room. He’s known who the caller is since the distinct ringtone started blaring from his phone; he knows he needs to be alone for this call. “What do you want?” Junmyeon says tiredly into the phone once he’s seated on his bed.

“It’s your birthday,” Kris explains like that clears everything up. “Did you really think I wouldn’t call?”

“I don’t know _what_ to think about you, Yifan,” Junmyeon informs him bluntly. “What’s the _real_ reason you call me all the time?”

“I’ve _told_ you,” Kris explains, sounding a little frustrated. “Just because I left doesn’t mean I don’t care about you - and everyone else - anymore. I like to hear how you’re doing, and I like to hear it from the source itself. That way I know it’s real.”

“Okay, but -”

“No, Junmyeon,” Kris interrupts firmly. “That _is_ the reason why I call you. After Lu-ge left, after your comeback, after Tao left, those were the times I knew you would need support the most, so I called then. But I’m sure you’ve noticed that I try to call at least once every two weeks, and that’s because I _care_ , because I genuinely want to know how you are.” He hesitates before continuing, “Even when you were drunk, I still stayed on because I wanted to make sure you were okay. You said a lot of things that made me a little - well anyway, I don’t even know if you remember it or not…”

“I remember everything I said that night,” Junmyeon tells him. “You don’t have to beat around the bush.”

“Oh,” Kris says dumbly. “Well, then.”

“I meant every word,” Junmyeon continues airily. “But it doesn’t matter.”

“It matters a little,” Kris counters defensively. “You didn’t let me say anything about _my_ feelings about the situation.”

“I was drunk, okay?” Junmyeon replies. “The _situation_ shouldn’t ever have existed in the first place.”

“So you’re just going to ignore the fact that you told me you’re in love with me?” Kris demands. “You’re just going to ignore that I’m in love with you too?”

Junmyeon closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, because there’s no way he heard those words come out of Kris’s mouth. “Yifan -”

“Junmyeon,” Kris cuts him off. “You yelled at me for doubting your words, don’t make me do the same. It’s true, okay? It’s one of the reasons why it’s important to me that I check in on you once in a while.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Junmyeon says honestly.

“Don’t say anything, then,” Kris suggests. “I’ll leave you to get your thoughts together now. But just remember, your feelings are, always have been, returned. So stop feeling like I’m messing with you, because I am one hundred percent sincere." He pauses for a moment. The silence makes Junmyeon think for a moment that Kris might have already hung up, but then Kris speaks up again. "And Junmyeon, happy birthday.”

(When he opens his door to return to the living room after hanging up, Junmyeon is greeted by seven overexcited members, all with varying degrees of suggestive smiles on their faces. “What do _you_ all want?” he groans even as he steps aside to let them all in.

“So,” Sehun starts, waggling his eyebrows as he drops himself unceremoniously on Junmyeon’s bed. “How is he?”

“How often does he call you, anyway?” Chanyeol adds inquisitively, perching himself next to Sehun. “He never calls _me_.”

“ _Obviously_ he only calls Junmyeon-hyung, otherwise it would be too suspicious,” Baekhyun points out, sitting on the floor and leaning against Sehun and Chanyeol’s legs. “Besides, confessions of love work best when other people aren’t involved.”

“And I’m sure you know from experience, right?” Jongdae teases from his spot on the windowsill. “Maybe Chanyeol can tell us all about that.”

Baekhyun glares at him. “Just you wait, I’ll call Yixing-hyung right now, _then_ we’ll see who’s laughing -”

“That’s not important right now,” Sehun interrupts. “ _I_ want to know how he confessed. Did he tell you that you’re his _style_ , Junmyeon-hyung?” Everyone bursts into laughter at that.

“Okay, first of all,” Junmyeon interjects loudly. “I don’t know _who_ you think called, but I’m sure you’re all confused -”

They all look at him pointedly. “Hyung,” Kyungsoo says slowly. “The ringtone was ‘Hurt.’ There’s literally no one else in the world you would be so overdramatic about besides Kris-hyung.”)

~~~

**+1 (February 2016)**

Junmyeon hesitates as he dials the number he’s not supposed to know anymore, but has had memorized for years anyway. He can think of a million reasons why this is a bad idea, why he should just put down his phone and give up on this call before ever making it. _What if he doesn’t pick up_? Junmyeon wonders. _Or worse, what if he_ does _?_

He doesn’t have much time to ponder on it, though, because the phone rings only once before the person on the other end picks up. “ _Junmyeon_?” Kris asks incredulously. Junmyeon remains silent for a moment, his throat dry. “Junmyeon? You there?”

Junmyeon is jolted back into reality and hastily replies, “Yes, yeah. It’s me. I’m here.”

“You called me,” Kris observes, trying to seem nonchalant but instead sounding a little awed. “ _You_ called _me_. Not the other way around.”

“I - yes, that’s true,” Junmyeon confirms. “I did.” He furiously asks himself why he decided to go through with this.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Kris prompts after an extended period of silence.

“Um,” Junmyeon starts awkwardly. “Well.”

“Yes,” Kris says slowly, trying to get Junmyeon to continue.

“We’re - EXO, I mean - we’re in Canada,” Junmyeon tells him.

“You are,” Kris replies.“I read the news.”

Junmyeon knows Kris too well to not be aware that Kris knows exactly what he’s trying to say, that he’s just messing with him right now. That fact doesn’t irritate him as much as he thinks it probably should. “You are also in Canada.”

“I am,” Kris agrees. Junmyeon can _hear_ the smug smile on the other man’s face.

“Seriously, Yifan?” Junmyeon huffs frustratedly. “I _know_ you know what I’m saying.”

“You’re saying that you’re in Canada and I’m in Canada,” Kris summarizes, clearly holding back a laugh. “Canada is a big place, lots of people everywhere. What’s your point?”

Junmyeon sighs, knowing Kris isn’t going to acknowledge his meaning until he spells it out explicitly. “We all have one day to do whatever we want.”

“ _That’s_ a new perk,” Kris comments. “I definitely never got one of _those_.” Junmyeon remains silent and Kris continues, “So. What are your plans for the day?”

“I don’t know, _Kris_ ,” Junmyeon retorts. “ _You’re_ the expert on Canadian culture, recommend something for me.”

Kris is quiet for a moment. “You know, that’s the first time you’ve called me Kris since - since I left?” he says softly. Junmyeon says nothing, his face heating up against his will. “Anyway.” Kris clears his throat and the moment is broken. “There’s a very nice little restaurant that does some pretty authentic Korean food in the heart of Toronto. Rumor has it that the food is so good that former K-pop star Kris Wu frequently goes there, usually around noon.”

A slow smile spreads across Junmyeon’s face. _This_ is what he’s been waiting for, _this_ is the reason he called in the first place. “What a coincidence, then, because current K-pop star, EXO’s Suho, was thinking of going there, also around noon, on his day off.”

Junmyeon can hear the grin in Kris’s voice, can see the sparkle in his eye, as he replies contentedly. “Okay then, Junmyeonnie. It’s a date.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris and Junmyeon meet in person after nearly two years.

Kris is in somewhat of a panic. Talking on the phone with Junmyeon is one thing; it’s easy to act cool and confident when he’s not actually face-to-face with whoever he’s talking to. Meeting him, on the other hand, actually _seeing_ him in front of him after nearly two years, is something else entirely. He had agreed to the date immediately, of course, because he misses Junmyeon _desperately_ , but he’s also starting to realize that the prospect of seeing Junmyeon again is somewhat terrifying.

He can’t exactly call Junmyeon right now, and somehow, he gets the feeling that none of the other EXO members will be remotely helpful either. He has all their numbers written down (he was told to delete them all, but it wasn’t like anyone was going to check his notebooks to see what was actually inside them), but he can already envision what would happen if he called one of them: inevitably, regardless of who he called, he would end up talking to all of them at least once.

Not that Kris doesn’t want to talk to his ex-members, because he wouldn’t really mind it, but he also doesn’t feel like being laughed at by eight people right now, which will unquestionably happen if he calls any of them. So he settles for being laughed at by only one person, and calls Luhan instead.

“Yo, what’s up?” Luhan greets in lieu of a normal “hello.” Kris rolls his eyes, but it also brings a smile to his face because it’s always nice to hear that Luhan still hasn’t changed at all.

“Hi Lu-ge,” Kris replies, stalling because it’s suddenly difficult to talk about what he actually called to discuss. “How have you been?”

Kris can practically _hear_ Luhan’s eyes rolling. “I know you didn’t call me after three weeks of silence for _small talk_ , Kris Wu.”

“Sorry,” Kris apologizes sheepishly. “I was...preoccupied with other things.”

“Does ‘other things’ translate to ‘Kim Junmyeon,’ by any chance?” Luhan asks sweetly.

Kris groans. “Was it really that easy to tell?”

Luhan laughs. “I’m only messing with you. You forget that I talk to Minseokkie every day. He _might_ have told me that Junmyeon had a bit of a crisis over you a few weeks ago, so I figured the same happened with you.”

“I should’ve guessed,” Kris mutters.

“Communication is the key to any relationship!” Luhan chirps, and Kris is certain that Luhan is only saying it to annoy him.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Kris says, trying to distract Luhan before he can go off on a tangent about his relationship (it happens way too often). “There was an actual reason I called. I kind of have a date today?”

Luhan is quiet for a moment. “A date,” he clarifies. “Like, one-on-one with another person.”

“Last time I checked, yes, that would constitute a date,” Kris responds, mostly to humor him.

“Just making sure,” Luhan says, a smirk evident in his voice. “I wasn’t sure you knew what one of those was.”

“Lu-ge, really,” Kris sighs. “The point is, I’m meeting Junmyeon for the first time since I left and -”

“ _Junmyeon_?” Luhan interrupts incredulously. “You really are something else, Kris Wu! You tell me you’re going on a date out of _nowhere_ and conveniently forget to mention that your date is with _Junmyeon_?”

“Um,” Kris says eloquently. “Surprise? I’m meeting Junmyeon for lunch.”

“If I weren’t so proud of you, I’d still be yelling at you,” Luhan informs him. “But I’ll let it slide this time. Minseokkie will be so happy! Our Fanfan and Junmyeonnie, finally going on a date!” Kris is sure that if Luhan were with him in person, he would be pinching his cheek right now.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kris grumbles, trying to pretend like he’s not pleased about Luhan’s approval. “But Lu-ge, I have no idea how to act around him.”

As Kris had expected, Luhan laughs. “Who knew _you_ could be nervous like this? What happened to cool city guy Kris who didn’t even care as his image crumbled?”

“Ge,” Kris practically whines, belatedly feeling a little embarrassed at how desperate he sounds. “Please.”

“Kris, if we’re being honest, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Luhan says, finally becoming serious. “Junmyeon has always been so mature. And you - well, you can be tactful when you need to be. You’ll be fine, once the conversation gets going. Just remember, if you start talking about, you know, your departure, listen to everything he says and don’t argue with it. Because he’s _right_. It doesn’t mean your point of view is invalid, because I guarantee he understands it perfectly well. But his is valid too, okay?”

Kris knows he’s speaking from experience, so he replies with a quiet, “I know, Lu-ge. Thank you.”

Before they say their goodbyes, Luhan adds one more thought. His voice is soft and fond as he speaks. “I’m really happy for you, Kris. For both of you. You deserve this.”

~~~

Kris walks into the little restaurant and his eyes immediately fall upon a figure standing in the corner, heavily bundled up in an oversized jacket, face almost entirely covered by a muffler. Regardless, Kris is too familiar with Junmyeon, even after all this time, to not recognize him immediately.

Junmyeon seems to recognize him too, because he jumps a little before walking over slowly. Kris feels like all the air has been sucked out of his lungs as Junmyeon finally stops in front of him. He’s certain their heights haven’t changed over the past two years, but he feels like their height difference is greater than he remembers it to be.

“Hey.” Junmyeon is the first to speak, and Kris isn’t prepared for the wave of emotion that floods through him at the sound of Junmyeon’s voice, even though it’s muffled by his scarf. Hearing him through the phone or through his headphones just isn’t the same as the real thing.

“Hi,” Kris manages to croak out. “You’re here.”

Junmyeon’s mouth is covered, but his eyes light up in a way that Kris knows means that he’s smiling. “Yes. And so are you.”

“Yes,” Kris repeats. He internally winces at how awkwardly he’s behaving. “We should, uh, find somewhere to sit.” He gestures to the closest table and clumsily pulls a chair out for Junmyeon to sit.

Junmyeon does so, and upon sliding the muffler off his face so it rests around his neck, smiles gratefully at Kris. Kris feels incapable of breathing for a moment; he’d almost forgotten how radiant Junmyeon’s toothy smile is in person. “So Kris, how have you been?”

“Good, I’ve been good,” Kris replies. “I definitely wasn’t freaking out over this meeting at all, that would be crazy.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Junmyeon honest-to-god _giggles_ , and Kris kind of wants to die on the spot. “It’s a good thing too, because I definitely didn’t freak out either. And I _definitely_ didn’t spend three hours trying to figure out what to wear until Jongdae yelled at me and called Tao for help, that would really be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?”

Kris suddenly feels a deep sense of relief; Junmyeon is just as nervous as him. “Yeah, it definitely couldn’t have been Tao who helped you,” he jokes, “because you look great.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Junmyeon warns, letting out a genuine laugh.

“It’s a little too late for that, unfortunately,” Kris counters with a grin. “Questionable clothing choice was always a popular topic in the EXO-M dorm.” He belatedly realizes that it might be too early in the conversation to be bringing up those memories already, but Junmyeon’s smile only grows bigger.

“It’s still a popular topic now, in fact,” Junmyeon informs him. “Although Luhan’s songs are always strong competitors.”

“Let me guess,” Kris smirks. “Chanyeol and Baek keep blasting ‘Lu’ at indecent hours.”

“As if we could have expected anything else, really,” Junmyeon sighs, but there’s a fond smile on his face. “It’s mostly to annoy Minseok-hyung, you know - he still gets so embarrassed every time he hears it.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Kris says dryly, trying to keep a straight face before they both burst into laughter a second later. _It’s so comfortable_ , he thinks as the conversation continues to flow easily. _It’s almost as if nothing has changed_. He asks about how the others are doing, about how they’re liking Canada and the tour in general.

Junmyeon is happy to answer him, readily describing the members’ feelings about the tour and about their stay in Canada. Kris learns that they’re all really loving Canada even though it’s freezing cold and that performing on tour is extremely tiring but a lot of fun. He listen to how when the fans get too excited, they tend to disregard the fact that the members are consumed with worry for their safety, which is frustrating and upsetting.

The topic switches to the relationships within the group and overall group dynamics. Sehun and Jongin still mostly just cuddle together a lot, and occasionally, Junmyeon finds them sharing a bed because they fell asleep together (“But nothing like _that_ has happened between them yet!” Junmyeon clarifies hurriedly. “They’re still too young!” Kris has to hide a grin at how motherly Junmyeon sounds).

On the other hand, Baekhyun and Chanyeol still love to spend all their time together and terrorize everyone else, especially poor Kyungsoo (“Though they _have_ learned to keep the volume down in their bed,” Junmyeon admits, reddening a little at the thought. Kris thinks it’s adorable).

They all try to Facetime or Skype Yixing as often as possible, though Jongdae often monopolizes that time (“Not that we blame him,” Junmyeon comments, smiling wryly. “It’s been really tough for both of them.” Kris just nods in both sympathy and understanding).

And while Minseok obviously maintains their primary contact with Luhan, all of them keep tabs on the activities of each of the former members (“Some of us more than others,” Junmyeon mumbles, flushing again. Kris grins fondly; of _course_ Junmyeon keeps the closest eye on all the members).

Somewhere between ordering their food and actually eating it, Kris finds out that the members don’t _officially_ know that Junmyeon is with him today, but truthfully, they’re all well aware of what exactly is going on and send their best wishes. Kris is suddenly overwhelmed with affection for his former bandmates. He knows it’s an impossibility, absolutely out of the question but - “I wish I could see them all,” he finds himself blurting out.

Junmyeon just smiles a little sadly. “I wish you could too.”

~~~

When they’ve both eaten their fill and Kris manages to convince Junmyeon to let him pay, they wrap themselves back up in their winter wear and head outside. They walk side by side, their hands brushing together, but neither of them brave enough to make the first move and actually link their hands together. Halfway down the street, Kris suddenly can’t prevent himself from bringing up something that’s been nagging at him for months. “Junmyeon, does Jongdae still have nightmares?”

“What?” Junmyeon turns to stare at him, looking slightly bewildered at the seemingly random question.

Kris shifts uncomfortably. “It’s just - that night you were drunk, you said that Jongdae had nightmares about Yixing leaving and I just wondered, does he still have them?”

Junmyeon sighs heavily. “Sometimes. It’s gotten better, actually, even though Yixing didn’t even come here with us. It’s sad, but I really think it might be because he’s just gotten used to Yixing not being around. I’ve tried to get him to talk to me about it, but he usually just tries to smile it off.” He looks at Kris consideringly. “Why the sudden curiosity?”

Kris swallows hard and looks down, suddenly incapable of meeting Junmyeon’s eyes. “The night you told me about it, you compared it to me leaving you behind. And ever since you said that, I’ve thought about it every day, because it’s my fault in the end, isn’t it?” He forces himself to look up again. “I was the catalyst. No one thought of leaving before I did, and now it’s a genuine fear that haunts all of you.”

“Kris,” Junmyeon murmurs, his gaze sharp and unwavering. “You did what you thought you needed to do. And it hurt. Of _course_ it hurt. You were - _are_ \- our family, and you left us all behind. How could we not be upset about that? How could we not be angry?” Kris wants to say something, anything, to defend himself, but he remembers Luhan’s words: Junmyeon is right, after all. Junmyeon’s expression softens as he continues, “But even through all our anger and hurt, we understood your reasons for leaving. And we _never_ saw you leaving as the reason the others left too.”

It’s all opposite, Kris thinks. He should be the one comforting Junmyeon, because he’s the one who caused the hurt in the first place, but here they are, their roles reversed. “How are you so forgiving?” he wonders aloud, slightly in awe. “How can you be so calm when I’ve done nothing but cause you distress? How do I deserve you?”

“Because I know you,” Junmyeon explains gently. “I know you didn’t leave because you _wanted_ to hurt me or any of us, and I know you still feel guilty to this day about it.” He laughs lightly. “There are times when I really want to hate you, you know that? But I just _can’t_. In the end, I care about you too much to begrudge you your happiness, and if leaving was what you needed, then I can respect that. And of course, I still have so many fond memories of you to hold onto, and that makes it so much easier.”

Junmyeon looks so beautiful right now, his eyes sparkling in earnest, his cheeks pink from the cold air, bundled up in his puffy winter jacket, and Kris has never felt more in love than he does now. “I really want to kiss you right now,” Kris murmurs, gazing down at Junmyeon. “Will you let me?”

Junmyeon flushes even pinker. He looks stunning. “What - what if someone recognizes us?” Junmyeon asks worriedly, putting an arm out to keep Kris from coming closer.

“No one has so far,” Kris reasons. “We’re pretty well-covered.”

“We’re in the middle of the street, though,” Junmyeon protests weakly, still trying to prevent Kris from drawing nearer. “Not to mention we’re two _males_. Someone might complain.”

“We’re in Canada, Junmyeon,” Kris reminds him with a small smile. “One of the most liberal countries in the world. Literally _no one_ will care.”

Junmyeon bites his lip, eyes uncertainly watching their surroundings. The street is completely deserted, but Kris doesn’t blame him for being concerned. “But -”

“Hey,” Kris interrupts, pulling Junmyeon’s chin up gently so he’s looking at Kris. “If you’re really against it, I understand. It’s just, you look really, really beautiful right now and I couldn’t resist telling you what I’m feeling.”

Junmyeon looks up at Kris, and Kris is suddenly very aware of how profound their height difference really is. He looks tiny, Kris thinks, but still powerful. Delicate, but still full of strength. “Do it,” Junmyeon whispers, so softly that Kris barely hears him. “Please.”

Kris brings his hand up to cup Junmyeon’s face and Junmyeon rises onto his tiptoes as Kris leans down, his previous shyness apparently forgotten. Right before their lips meet, Kris pauses, wanting to make sure Junmyeon really wants this. In the end, it’s Junmyeon who closes the gap between them, and every thought in Kris’s mind is swept away to be replaced by how good it feels to finally, _finally_ kiss Junmyeon.

He doesn’t know how long they stand there swaying in their spot on the sidewalk, Junmyeon still on his tiptoes, Kris’s arms wound around Junmyeon’s waist, Junmyeon’s hands in Kris’s hair, both of them pouring the emotion from two years of separation, plus all the years of being together before that, into the kiss.

When they finally break apart, Junmyeon’s cheeks are more flushed than they’ve been all day and his lips are red and shiny. Kris is sure he looks similar. Junmyeon offers him a tiny smile. “I love you,” Kris blurts out. He didn’t plan on saying it, but he means it all the same. Kris wonders if it’s weird that he feels nervous; they’ve already confessed to each other over the phone, of course, and it’s not like they never said the words to each other on broadcasts and in interviews during his EXO days, but there’s something nerve-wracking about saying it in person and meaning it like _this_.

Junmyeon’s smile widens. “Imagine that,” he teases. “The cold city guy has a heart after all.”

“Don’t bring _that_ up,” Kris begs. “Come on, I was being serious.”

Junmyeon’s eyes are shining with mirth. “I’m only teasing,” he reassures Kris. “I’ll let you in on a secret to make it up to you.” He stands on his tiptoes again so he can whisper in Kris’s ear, his breath ghosting across Kris’s skin as he speaks. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been busy with "Follow Me and Run" but this is something I've been working on at the same time. I liked how I ended the previous chapter of this, but I was also inspired by some of the comments on it to write their actual meeting so here it is! Hope everyone enjoys!
> 
> Feedback and comments are welcome and appreciated! :)

**Author's Note:**

> My first time writing an EXO fic! Hope you all enjoy! Sorry for the totally cliche title which is of course an Adele reference (that song suits Krisho so well though rip)! Also thank you as always to my wonderful sister for being my editor and my toughest critic :P
> 
> This fic was literally inspired by the episode of Happy Camp where Sehun said that Junmyeon was boring to room with because he was always on the phone and Baekhyun revealed that Junmyeon was talking to a man. My imagination ran away with it and here we are with this! Just a heads up, a lot of the events that are mentioned are real, but the actual story is of course all from my head.
> 
> (Also, just to clarify in case it was confusing: Junmyeon call Kris "Yifan" because it's more formal and he wants to distance himself in an attempt to get over him. The significance of Junmyeon calling him the "Kris" at the end is that "Kris" is much more familiar and informal, signifying that Junmyeon no longer wants to separate himself from Kris.)
> 
> Comments and feedback are always welcome! Thank you for reading! :)


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